SUPPORT FOR COELIACS AT PARK HILL'S OPEN FARM SUNDAY

GLUTEN FREE (lack of) AWARENESS WEEK  and OPEN FARM SUNDAY 17TH JUNE 2012

TIME  11 AM - 3PM

Last week, was the National Gluten Free Awareness Week, and Patsy Pimlott, Educational Co-Ordinator of Park Hill Farm, Hales, was surprised to find that there are no gluten free co-ordinators listed for either Cheshire or Shropshire; with the North Stafforshire group being the closest listed to Market Drayton.

With this is mind, and having a family member who is coeliac, Park Hill Farm has decided to make their OPEN FARM SUNDAY EVENT, on June 17^th, substantially gluten free.

Gluten free, vegetarian, and non-vegetarian picnics are available to pre-order in advance of the event.    Where possible, the picnic will contain Park Hill’s own ingredients, and any bought-in ingredients will be gluten free. 

Patsy said  “having a coeliac in the family is not a rare occurrence today, with more than one in every thousand being the possible figures for coeliac diagnosis.  Going out for the day can be a nightmare for parents of young children, as so many places are not aware of the cross contamination issues, such as breaded fish being cooked in the same oil as chips.  

“This year’s Open Farm Sunday is also FATHERS’ DAY, and so we thought it would be a nice touch for families to be able to treat dad on the day to a picnic.

“With this in mind, following our own very traumatic experience at the Titanic Exhibition in Belfast, we decided to support the Gluten Free Awareness Campaign with Park Hill’s  Open Farm Sunday Event.   The farm has been praised for the work it does with the community, and as the current COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE NATIONAL AWARD WINNERS FOR ENTERPRISE, it seems this is one further way we can give families a happy time”. 

Open Farm Sunday is a national day across the UK, and so far, more than 200 farms have pledged to open their doors to the public.   A major attraction to Park Hill’s Open Farm Sunday event is the “Cake, Bake and Take” stand.  Ex-nurse, Sheila Pimlott, helps families mix the cake ingredients (all produced in farms in the UK), explaining where flour comes from etc, and then each child bakes their own cakes to take home.  This year the flour will be gluten free, and the cake stall will have a gluten free selection as well.   As usual, Park Hill will be opening the farm with families not incurring an entrance fee.

Patsy is also interested in hearing from other coeliacs who would be interested in forming a group in the Market Drayton area.  Further information for the Open Day can be found at www.parkhillfarm.blogspot.com and messages can be left on the new Park Hill Farm Face Book page, BOTH OF WHICH WILL BE UPDATED REGULARLY.

Information

Patsy and John Pimlott are involved with

Park Hill Farm -  the current holder of the Countryside Alliance National Award for Enterpise.    Winning this award for the way they farm their traditional breeds of cattle and pigs; the meat they sell at the farm shop, and the high quality educational visits and free open days they offer to the public.

Currently, the farm is in the last 4 of the Midlands area RSPB Award.

The farm is 130 acres of grassland, and its hedgerows, ponds and farm animals will all be playing a part in their Open Farm Sunday.

Patsy and John Pimlott have one daughter, Amelia, who is 11 and she has been a coeliac since the age of 3.

Contact Details

Patsy Pimlott

PR and Educational Visits Co-ordinator

Park Hill Farm

Hales

Market Drayton

Shropshire   TF9 2QA

Tel 01630 652178

(new) Face Book page   Park Hill Farm

Twitter   @ppimlott

EMAIL  beef@parkhillfarm.co.uk

Web blog  www.parkhillfarm.blogspot.com

John Pimlott

Farmer/Events Co-ordinator

as above

Tel 07966 460312

Coeliac UK can be contacted through

http://www.coeliac.org.uk

Open Farm Sunday can be contacted through

http://www.farmsunday.org

Picnic Style Open Farm Sunday 17th June 2012

Sunday 17th June 2012 is OPEN FARM SUNDAY.  This year it falls on Fathers' Day, so we are making the day extra special for DADS.    You can order a picnic from us, bring your rug, and have a lovely lunch alfresco at our OPEN FARM SUNDAY.

If you are GLUTEN FREE, OR EVEN VEGERARIAN, YOU  WILL FIND A LOVELY PICNIC TO ORDER.

Thursday 14th June is the last day to order your picnic.

Picnics will be made with Park Hill Farm produce where possible and if you need a gluten free picnic, then let us know in good time, and this will be arranged for you too.

Choose from

(A)  Park Hill Picnic with Meat, or  (B)  Park Hill Veggie Picnic

(A) contains  a Park Hill Roast Beef Sandwish              and  (B) contains an Park Hill laid egg sandwich
(A) contains 2 Park Hill Sausages                                  and (B) contains 2 veggie sausages

(A) and (B) both contain a yoghurt, a piece of fruit and either an individual small orange juice carton or a small bottle of water.

Both picnics cost £6.00, and you can pre-order these by e-mail   to beef@parkhillfarm.co.uk and pay for them by debit card over the phone.   You will need to say how many of which type of picnics you require, and give your full name and address and a contact telephone number, so we can call you to arrange to take the payment.   The picnic will be waiting for you, and all you need to do is to bring a rug.

For full details of our Open Farm Sunday please visit the Open Farm Sunday website and type in TF9 2QA to get our farm up.

We hope for a dry day, but tables and benches under marquees will be offered just in case!

We look forward to hearing from you and please do call Pat on 07429 690945 or John on 07966 460312 for further details.

Marketing Vacancy

Park Hill Farm, Hales, Market Drayton, Shropshire. TF9 2QA


Tel 01630 652178

E-mail beef@parkhillarm.co.uk

Vacancy - Voluntary Marketing & Project Support Assistant

The Business

Main industry is farming, but have diversified into educational visits, and farm shop

Award winning family farm, farming pedigree suckler cows and pigs for supplying the farm shop. Own meat is sold at farmers' markets, shows and the farm shop. Also has an educational strand welcoming schools and groups to teach about food, farming, environment etc.

The Opportunity

This is an excellent opportunity for a Marketing/Media/Business Studies Graduate to gain experience within a small business based in the village of Hales, Market Drayton. Our location is within Staffordshire, but our postal address is Shropshire!.

As a volunteer for this marketing/project support internship you will be supporting the owner of the company with:

Raising awareness and making the maximum opportunities of the farm winning the UK and Ireland National Countryside Alliance Award for "Enterprise", through a marketing campaign which should include:


- Locating and making press contacts

- Inviting the press to meet the owners

- Preparing press releases

- Updating website

- Using other medias - such as DVD, and speaking to radio stations

- Arranging opportunities to work with other medias and working partners as and when possible

- Keeping in contact with customers

- Develping social networking sites for the owners and preparing a social media strategy



Helping increase the number of educational visits to the farm via press releases etc

Assisting with small group visits and Open Days

Making telephone calls and sending e-mails and letters

Assisting at shows and farmers markets to promote the good work of the farm

Outcome

The outcome will be increased awareness of the educational strand to the farm, and also the environmentally friendly meat that we produce, resulting in a platform for increasing our database and business.

Skills required

Happy to "have a go" and take the project forward attitude


• Good communication skills and being able to communicate with a variety of people

• Flexible

• Able to work off your own initiative, and use the Web for research from your own home sometimes

• Familiar with MS Office, E-mail, Internet

• Able to "Tweet" and use "Face Book" to a level to promote the business

• Willing to undertake website work, and work with our website designer

• Willing to learn how to upload to You Tube etc

• Passionate to help people and be able to assist with people with disabilities who may visit farm

Location

The farm is located between Loggerhead and Market Drayton, which is on a main bus route. Would be happy to collect from bus stop.


You will need Access to your own transport and driving licence, or willingness to catch a bus

How to apply

e-mail Pat Pimlott on beef@parkhillfarm.co.uk please with your CV, stating why this vacancy will be mutually beneficial.

Some expenses will be paid.

Getting Busy for Taster Day

Cooking is going well for our taster day.   Hope Radio Stoke will say something beforehand.    John and Amelia are on Stafford Farmers' Mkt, and I think I need to get some tidying up done.   However, my printer has just broken - no lights!!   I suppose we had better buy another one!

See you tomorrow about 11 am.

Pat and John

Buying Bucks Fiz

John is going to buy some Bucks Fiz for Sunday.   

Do join us at our Celebration Day.

See you from 10.30 onwards on Sunday 15th April.

Celebration and Taster Day, Sunday 15th April 11 am

These little piggies will be on show on Sunday.

We have put the marquee up, so come along and be part of our special day.

We are cooking 4 dishes, so you can try our Park Hill Beef at its best.

Some dishes will be gluten free.

Please bring your friends to share in our big day.

See you Sunday.

Updates - Opening times and Taster Day

Just to say that all 11 piggies appear to be doing well, and Amelia's chicks are due to hatch on Wednesday.

We shall be open on Saturday and on Sunday it is out Taster Day.

Taster day starts at 10.30 when the shop opens, and at 11 - 12 we should be offering some tasters.

At 12, we will be raising mugs and glasses to you all for all your kind words which enabled us to win our award.

We think we have had about 400 good wishes following our award, how fantastic is that for a small organisation!

We look forward to seeing you all, and your friends.